China Export Growth to Slow as Iran Conflict Disrupts AI Trade Boom

China's trade surplus narrowed to $51.1 billion in March, marking a 13-month low as export performance significantly underperformed. Export growth slowed to 2.5% year-on-year in March, a sharp deceleration from the robust 21.8% growth reported during the January-February period. This figure missed the 8.6% growth expected by analysts, as the conflict in Iran chilled global demand. Conversely, imports surged by 27.8%, far exceeding the forecasted 11.2%, driven by rising costs in AI-related technology. This data highlights underlying fragility in the economic recovery as China's export engine stutters amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Analysts warn that the cooling trade environment will continue to pressure the USD/CNH exchange rate and the Hang Seng Index (HSI).